Electric contact device.



C, W..COLEMAN, DECD. K. 001.1111111, ADMINISTRATRIX.

ELECTRIC GONTAGT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1911. RENEWED DEC. 19, 191.1.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

C. W. COLEMAN, DECD.

K. COLEMAN, ADmMsTRATMX.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE..

APPLICATION FILED 11.11.14, 1911. RBNBWED DBG. 19, i911.

1,024,718. Patented Apr. 3o, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VWM a .A TMMM I' *r I A cOLUMmA PLANOGRAPH C0.,\\'ASHINGTON. I. c.

CII

nNiTEn sTATEs PATENT orsi/on.

ARINE COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX, OF WESTFIE-LD, N EW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Original application led September 10, 1910, Serial No 581,409. Divided and this application filed January 14,' 1911, Serial No. 603,381.

Serial No. 666,845.

To all whom. 'it may concer/nr Be it known that CLARENCE TV. COLEMAN, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, residing at `Westeld, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Contact Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

The invention relates to electric contact devices and particularly to movable contact closers, this application being divisional of the previous application for Letters Patent of the United States, tiled September' 10, 1010, Serial No. 581,109.

In many uses to which such devices are put, the safety of life and property depends upon the reliability of their operation, as in railway signaling systems, in which their failure to open or close the circuit at the proper time may result in giving a wrong signal indication. In such uses the movable Contact closer is under the automatic control of a relay magnet, and after continued use the cooperating parts tend to become loosened and disarranged with the consequent failure to properly perform their function.,

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective pivotal or hinge support for securing movable contact closers to a stationary member which, while permitting freedom of movement of the contact closers, is secured against accidental loosening or separation of the two parts.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following description.

The invention willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a relay containing an embodiment of the invention, the side of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, a portion of the bottom of the casing being broken away. Figs. 3 and l are details of the trunnion bracket used in the hinge device, showing an end view and front elevation, respectively. Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the hinges and of the movable contact closer. Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the trunnion pin in elevation and end view.

The drawing shows a relay adapted for electric railway signal circuits, having a relay magnet 2 with pole-pieces 13, of which only one is seen. Movable contact closers, side by side, are secured to the armature in the usual way. There are four contactclosers shown, each of which coperates with a front and back contact stop. The front contact stops are held in a support consisting of the upper base 3 of the relay casing in such a manner as to be securely locked against accidental loosening, and the means for thus securing these stops in the base are described and lclaimed in the previous application above referred to.

Each movable contact closer consists of the usual contact lingers 10 carrying a backcontact closer 11 and a front-contact closer 12, the latter of which is of the improved form now used by The Hall Signal Company and invented by Thomas L. Lee, Jr. The fro-nt contact is closed when the magnet 2 is energized and the armature which carries the contact fingers 10 is attracted, and the back contact is .closed when the armature is released and falls by gravity, in these particulars operating in the usual way. To prevent the armature pivot from becoming loosened, there is used the improved hinge device which will now be described.

On the rear of the pole-piece 13 is attached, by screws or otherwise, a bracket 14 which is termed the trunnion bracket. This bracket has on each end a split clamp 15 and these split clamps serve as supports for two pins 1G. These pins are used as trunnion pins, though other pivotal connections could be employed. Clamping' screws 17 engage in the bores 18 through the jaws of the split clamps, the portions of the bores which are in the inner aws being screw-threaded, as is usual. These bores 18 are drilled at substantially right angles to the clamping bores 19 for the pins 16 and partially intersect them as shown. Each of the pins 16 has a circumferential groove 20 so situated that when the pins 16 are in the clamps these grooves complete the portions of the bores 18 cut out by intersection with the bores 19, and the clamping screws 17, when inserted, engage in the grooves Q0 and lock t-he pins against escaping from the clamps. The clamping screws 17 also, when screwed up,

tighten the clamps about the pine and thus further ,secure the pins.

The armature l has two rearwardly eX- tending projections Q1 on the outer side of each oit which ie a round projection 22 of substantially the diameter olf the pins 1G and extending outwardly toward such pins, and from the end of each of these projects a trnnnion adapted to enter into a hole Q4 drilled into the end of each of the pins 1G, which holeal thus Serve as bearings for the trnnnione Q9. The parte are So designed that when the armature is mounted with the trnnnioney in their bearings, the ende of the pine lo and ronnded projections 22 abut, as shown in Fig. 2. To mount the armature, it ie placed in the proper position, with the trnnnione4 in line with the bores 19, and when the pins 1G are inserted in the clamps, the trnnniona enter their bearings 24. The clamping screws 17 are then ineerted and the clamps tightened and the pins 1G locked in their supports. It. ie evident thatl the clamping screws 17 must be substantially wholly withdrawn before the pins 1G can escape, and thneI iccidental loosening` of the hinge ia avoided, while at the Same time a freely movable ioint is ait'orded.

lt is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constrnction Shown and above particularly described within the principle and scope ot' the invention.

"lv'laat is claimed is:

l. .ln a movable contact closer, a hinge device comprising two relatively movable parte, one oit the parte having two communicating bores substantially at right angles to each other, a pin having a circnmterential groove therein and Situated in one bore, and a locking member in the other bore in engagen'ient with the recess in the pin, the other partl having pivotal engagement with the pin.

9. lin a movable contact closer, a hinge device (.oniprieing two relatively movable parte, one oit the parts having a Split clamp, a pinV held in the split clamp and having a circnniterential groove therein, and a clamping member t'or the Split clamp arranged to engage in the groove in the pin, the other part having pivotal engagement with the pin,

ln, a movable contact closer, a hinge device comin'ieing two relatively movable parte, one oit the parte having two pairs of communieating bores, the bores of each pair being substantially at right angles to each other, and tor each pair or commnn'icatii'lg bores a pin liaving a circumferential groove therein and situated in one bore, and av locking member in the other bore in engagement with the recess in the pin, the pins pivotally engaging the other part at opposite ends thereof.

et. In a movable contact closer, a hinge device comprising two relatively mo table parts, one of the parteI having two split clamps, and for each split clamp a pin held therein and having al circumferential groove therein and a clamping member arranged to engage in the groove in the pin, the pinsl pivotally engaging the other part at opposite ends thereof.

5. In a movable Contact closer, a hinge device comprising a removable trnnnion pin having a circnn'rlerential groove therein, a Support tor the trunnion pin, a .movable trminion-pin*locking member in the snjport adapted to engage in the groove olE the trnnnion pin, and a trnnnion jonrnaled in the trunnion pin.

6. In a movable contact Cloner, a hinge device comprising a trnnnion pin having a circumferential groove therein, a split clamp support tor t-he trunnion pin, a clamping member for the split clamp arranged to engage in the groove et the trnnnion pin, and a trunnion onrnaled in the trnnnion pin.

7. In a movable contact closer, a hinge device comprising two removable trnnnion pinsl each having a circumterential groove therein, a Support for each t-rnnnion pin, a removable trunnion-pin-locling member in each support adapted to engage in the groove oi its trunnion pin, and two trunnione, one jonrnalcd in each trnnnion pin.

8. ln a movable contact closer, a hinge device comprising a removable trnnnion pin having a circumferential groove therein, a` split clan'ip Support for each trnnnion pin, a clamping member tor each Split clamp arranged to engage in the groove ot its trnnnion pin, and two trnniiions, one jonrnaled .in each trnnnion pin.

i). ln a movable contact closer, a hinge device comprisingl a bracket, two Splitclampel on the bracket, a trunnion pin in each split clamp having a circuniterential groove therein, a clamping Screw for each split clamp ar anged to engagein the groove ot the trnnnion pin, and two trnnnions, one joiirnaled in cach trnnnion pin.

lilrlll'riltlll COLEMAN, .l(Imi)isimtrm of the @Str/tc of (florence W.

Colei/Lan, (leccese/(Z. fitnesses Vieron D. Boner, BERNARD CownN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

